1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to recreational apparatus, and more specifically to an improved ball pitching device as used in a soft-toss drill.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Baseball, softball and related sports are very popular, and numerous mechanical devices have been developed to assist and train players of the games. For example, several types of pitching or ball toss machines have been designed to enable a player to practice his batting skills without requiring another player to manually pitch the ball to him. Most such ball toss machines utilize a motor to sequentially throw the ball to the batter, or to release the ball down an inclined ramp and into the batter's "strike zone" for hitting. Such motorized devices are, by their very nature, relatively complex and expensive, and therefore not readily available to many consumers. More significantly, these devices require a power supply, usually in the form of an electrical extension cord extended to the nearest electrical outlet, or use of a portable electric generator, in order to operate. Thus, these devices are not always able to be used where desired, as in an open field or ballpark.
Other ball toss devices have been developed which are not motorized and do not require electrical power, but rather require manual operator release of a ball down a chute or tube towards an upwardly inclined extension, to gently "pitch" the ball to the batter. However, the release mechanisms on most known manual devices are often poorly positioned and/or difficult for the operator/batter to manipulate. Furthermore, due to the structural geometry and arrangement of their release mechanisms and chutes, most of these known manual devices deliver the ball to the batter's strike zone very quickly, so that the batter has little time to set up and prepare to swing. Thus, such devices are often not desirable as practice or teaching tools.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,606, by the applicant herein, describes a portable, collapsible structure designed to selectively pitch a ball to a batter in a "soft-toss" drill, as used to develop a batter's hand, wrist, and eye coordination. That device comprises a ball capture cavity portion bearing a lip member positioned to capture and stabilize a single ball at that level. An initial or "delay" ramp portion extends downward and rearward away from the ball capture cavity, and connects to a final or "acceleration" ramp portion which extends further downward but in the opposite longitudinal direction, forward in the direction of the ball capture cavity. The final ramp terminates in an upwardly-curved launch ramp portion extending towards the batter in the front of the apparatus, so that the launch ramp is generally beneath the ball capture cavity. The entire apparatus may be supported at any appropriate height by an adjustable-height stand.
That prior device additionally may include at least one ball magazine portion having a front end and a rear end, which is used for containing one or more balls to be pitched. The magazine is inclined generally downwardly from the rear to the front, and terminates at its front (i.e., lower) end into the ball capture cavity portion. Thus, the device can be used as a single-ball mechanism, or a repeatable ball pitching mechanism, as desired.
The ball pitching device taught by the U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,606 is used in the following manner: at least one ball is placed in the ball capture cavity (or the magazine, where the ball naturally rolls forward until it enters the ball capture cavity), so that it is (temporarily) held in place there by the lip member. The batter, standing in front of the apparatus in a batting stance (so that his feet are in the proper position when he hits the ball), reaches up to touch the ball with the barrel end of his bat through a bat access port opening in the ball capture cavity, so that the ball is gently pushed over the lip member, and begins to roll downwards and away from the batter on the initial (delay) ramp. This initial ramp is preferably relatively gently inclined, so that the ball rolls relatively slowly down it. The ball rolls the length of the initial ramp until it contacts the final (acceleration) ramp, where the ball changes direction and rolls down the final ramp towards the front of the apparatus. This final ramp is preferably relatively steeper than the initial ramp, so that the ball attains an appropriate rolling velocity. The ball rolls the length of the final ramp and then rolls up the upwardly-curved launch ramp, leaving the launch ramp in a ballistic trajectory towards the batter's strike zone.
The effect of the combination of these dual ramps (initial and final) is that the ball is delayed in its delivery to the batter for a desired interval, e.g., three to four seconds, which time is analogous to the time it takes for a typical baseball pitcher to wind up and deliver a ball to a batter in a real game. Thus, use of the ball pitching device of that invention replicates a real ball game in that respect. In addition, this time interval gives the batter time to think and properly prepare for the ball (e.g. head down, bat in position), thereby further enhancing the training process.
The ball pitching device of that invention is height-adjustable, enabling the batter to adjust the device to deliver the ball into all areas of the strike zone for batting practice, and adjustable for all height of batters. Furthermore, the device is completely collapsible and portable, enabling its use by individuals in any playing area or park. Finally, because it does not require electric power, the device is safe to be used in all types of weather.